Author Topic: Post your ALPS keyboard  (Read 179015 times)

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Offline njbair

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #50 on: Tue, 17 November 2015, 22:58:11 »
May I ask what keycap options do we have for ALPS right now?

You can get the 104-key Tai-Hao Dolch and Olivetti sets on MechanicalKeyboards.com. I just sold off the last remaining spots in my Alpine Winter GB, but maybe someone will be selling their extra sets once they start shipping in late December/early January.

Other than that, you'll have to harvest caps from old keyboards.

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Offline zombimuncha

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #51 on: Wed, 18 November 2015, 06:00:25 »
May I ask what keycap options do we have for ALPS right now?

You can get the 104-key Tai-Hao Dolch and Olivetti sets on MechanicalKeyboards.com. I just sold off the last remaining spots in my Alpine Winter GB, but maybe someone will be selling their extra sets once they start shipping in late December/early January.

Other than that, you'll have to harvest caps from old keyboards.

And you can get Matias ABS sets from Keyboardco, or direct from Matias. They also have some PBT caps in the pipeline but haven't been released yet.

Offline bcredbottle

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #52 on: Wed, 18 November 2015, 06:12:41 »
May I ask what keycap options do we have for ALPS right now?

You can get the 104-key Tai-Hao Dolch and Olivetti sets on MechanicalKeyboards.com. I just sold off the last remaining spots in my Alpine Winter GB, but maybe someone will be selling their extra sets once they start shipping in late December/early January.

Other than that, you'll have to harvest caps from old keyboards.

And you can get Matias ABS sets from Keyboardco, or direct from Matias. They also have some PBT caps in the pipeline but haven't been released yet.

And OLKB has Alps DSA http://ortholinearkeyboards.com/keycaps/dsa-keycaps


EDIT: Wait whoa holy **** OEM too? http://ortholinearkeyboards.com/keycaps/oem-keycaps

Offline E3E

  • Posts: 2831
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #53 on: Wed, 18 November 2015, 12:07:16 »
May I ask what keycap options do we have for ALPS right now?

You can get the 104-key Tai-Hao Dolch and Olivetti sets on MechanicalKeyboards.com. I just sold off the last remaining spots in my Alpine Winter GB, but maybe someone will be selling their extra sets once they start shipping in late December/early January.

Other than that, you'll have to harvest caps from old keyboards.

And you can get Matias ABS sets from Keyboardco, or direct from Matias. They also have some PBT caps in the pipeline but haven't been released yet.

And OLKB has Alps DSA http://ortholinearkeyboards.com/keycaps/dsa-keycaps


EDIT: Wait whoa holy **** OEM too? http://ortholinearkeyboards.com/keycaps/oem-keycaps

****, I could go for some black OEM blanks, but do they offer anything that'd fit a standard ANSI layout?

Offline SJHL

  • Posts: 274
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #54 on: Wed, 18 November 2015, 17:47:32 »
May I ask what keycap options do we have for ALPS right now?

You can get the 104-key Tai-Hao Dolch and Olivetti sets on MechanicalKeyboards.com. I just sold off the last remaining spots in my Alpine Winter GB, but maybe someone will be selling their extra sets once they start shipping in late December/early January.

Other than that, you'll have to harvest caps from old keyboards.

And you can get Matias ABS sets from Keyboardco, or direct from Matias. They also have some PBT caps in the pipeline but haven't been released yet.

And OLKB has Alps DSA http://ortholinearkeyboards.com/keycaps/dsa-keycaps


EDIT: Wait whoa holy **** OEM too? http://ortholinearkeyboards.com/keycaps/oem-keycaps

This is news to me, thanks!

Offline cgbuen

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #55 on: Wed, 18 November 2015, 20:27:46 »
Mini Tactile Pro with Matias Clickies https://www.instagram.com/p/-E3tpFnGTI/


Offline SamirD

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #56 on: Thu, 19 November 2015, 10:30:28 »
Mini Tactile Pro with Matias Clickies https://www.instagram.com/p/-E3tpFnGTI/

Show Image

Pretty!  How do you like it?  Have you tried it in comparison to other alps or cherry/bs?


Offline zombimuncha

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #57 on: Thu, 19 November 2015, 13:43:51 »
Mini Tactile Pro with Matias Clickies https://www.instagram.com/p/-E3tpFnGTI/

Show Image


That reminds me, I need to try my Matias caps on the V80...

Offline cgbuen

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #58 on: Fri, 20 November 2015, 02:56:08 »
It's pretty cool. Its click is way more fun than MX Blues', for sure.

Offline zombimuncha

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #59 on: Fri, 20 November 2015, 04:38:21 »
It's pretty cool. Its click is way more fun than MX Blues', for sure.
QFT

Offline zombimuncha

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #60 on: Fri, 20 November 2015, 10:53:22 »
117874-0

I like the sound of the Matias stock keycaps better than the TaiHao doubleshots. They're lower pitched and less annoying. I think the same was true of the stock KBP caps (which I suspect are also from TaiHao, but not doubleshot)

Mini review of the TaiHao doubleshots:
* more durable
* slightly better feel (can't feel the legends)
* worse sound
* don't really look exactly like they're meant to. The colours are a little bit off compared to the sets they're supposed to be copies of. Slightly disappointing.
* cheap!
* overall 7/10, glad I got them otherwise I wouldn't know all this.

So... how do thick PBT caps sound on clicky Alps switches, compared to thin ABS?

I find this weird because they're all ABS, and the doubleshots are definitely thicker so I was expecting a lower pitched sound, not higher.

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #61 on: Fri, 20 November 2015, 18:03:39 »
X-post from Post your Korean keyboard:












:)

Offline jbondeson

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #62 on: Fri, 20 November 2015, 18:09:45 »
So so so so very jelly over here!

Love all your alps boards E3E!

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #63 on: Fri, 20 November 2015, 18:11:06 »
So so so so very jelly over here!

Love all your alps boards E3E!

Aww, haha. Thanks man. Alps are so nice. :) It's nice to have boards that you've put a lot of work into.

Offline sean

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #64 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 00:42:16 »
So so so so very jelly over here!

Love all your alps boards E3E!

Aww, haha. Thanks man. Alps are so nice. :) It's nice to have boards that you've put a lot of work into.

I need to play around with some greens and yellows. Really nice kb!

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #65 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 01:38:31 »
I need to play around with some greens and yellows. Really nice kb!

Thanks. :D If I was some PCB wizard like skullydazed or could rig my own backlighting setup, it'd be a lot easier, but I had to use a Duck Eagle PCB since the fact it is MX + Alps meant it had LED positions meant for the Cherry switches which I could rig to use for this purpose.

To get this working for Alps, well... I had to hand drill LED holes in the bottom housing of every switch since linear alps don't have LED holes unless it's a switch used for an indicator light. It was worth the effort though. I haven't seen any documented cases of complicated linears being used with whole board backlighting, so it sounded like a really fun project to do!
« Last Edit: Sat, 21 November 2015, 01:42:09 by E3E »

Offline sean

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #66 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 10:28:34 »
I need to play around with some greens and yellows. Really nice kb!

Thanks. :D If I was some PCB wizard like skullydazed or could rig my own backlighting setup, it'd be a lot easier, but I had to use a Duck Eagle PCB since the fact it is MX + Alps meant it had LED positions meant for the Cherry switches which I could rig to use for this purpose.

To get this working for Alps, well... I had to hand drill LED holes in the bottom housing of every switch since linear alps don't have LED holes unless it's a switch used for an indicator light. It was worth the effort though. I haven't seen any documented cases of complicated linears being used with whole board backlighting, so it sounded like a really fun project to do!

That's really cool! I would have loved to see that on making stuff together ;)

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #67 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 10:54:50 »
I need to play around with some greens and yellows. Really nice kb!

Thanks. :D If I was some PCB wizard like skullydazed or could rig my own backlighting setup, it'd be a lot easier, but I had to use a Duck Eagle PCB since the fact it is MX + Alps meant it had LED positions meant for the Cherry switches which I could rig to use for this purpose.

To get this working for Alps, well... I had to hand drill LED holes in the bottom housing of every switch since linear alps don't have LED holes unless it's a switch used for an indicator light. It was worth the effort though. I haven't seen any documented cases of complicated linears being used with whole board backlighting, so it sounded like a really fun project to do!

That's really cool! I would have loved to see that on making stuff together ;)

I've been keeping a photo log of everything so far! I'll post a thread once the hammer case comes in. :D So excited for that.

Offline frosty

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #68 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 11:20:16 »
X-post from Post your Korean keyboard:


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:)

my god can you hook me up with some green alps please.

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #69 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 11:41:54 »
X-post from Post your Korean keyboard:


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:)

my god can you hook me up with some green alps please.

Sadly, I don't have enough for another 60%, but I do have some brown linear alps (which are very seldom seen) and some yellow linears. Brown and yellow are actually the same exact weight as I measured last night. The difference is that yellows use a short contact plate while browns use a long contact plate. This makes the browns feel a bit smoother, I think.

Greens are pretty much like MX reds. I weighed around 45g actuation and 50g bottom out.

Yellows and linear Browns = 60g actuation 70g bottom out

Offline frosty

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #70 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 14:04:59 »
X-post from Post your Korean keyboard:


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:)

my god can you hook me up with some green alps please.

Sadly, I don't have enough for another 60%, but I do have some brown linear alps (which are very seldom seen) and some yellow linears. Brown and yellow are actually the same exact weight as I measured last night. The difference is that yellows use a short contact plate while browns use a long contact plate. This makes the browns feel a bit smoother, I think.

Greens are pretty much like MX reds. I weighed around 45g actuation and 50g bottom out.

Yellows and linear Browns = 60g actuation 70g bottom out

what about the smoothness of these green alps? aren't they tiers above mx reds

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #71 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 23:23:02 »
X-post from Post your Korean keyboard:


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:)

my god can you hook me up with some green alps please.

Sadly, I don't have enough for another 60%, but I do have some brown linear alps (which are very seldom seen) and some yellow linears. Brown and yellow are actually the same exact weight as I measured last night. The difference is that yellows use a short contact plate while browns use a long contact plate. This makes the browns feel a bit smoother, I think.

Greens are pretty much like MX reds. I weighed around 45g actuation and 50g bottom out.

Yellows and linear Browns = 60g actuation 70g bottom out

what about the smoothness of these green alps? aren't they tiers above mx reds

Yep! They are very smooth and indeed very high above any Cherry linears, in my opinion, though well-lubed vintage MX blacks are very pleasant. Good condition Green Alps are smoother than any modern MX by far and just as smooth as lubed vintages. It's pretty shocking. It's important to note that they have less travel than MX though, so the feel is a bit different.

The linear browns I have are very smooth too. It's a shame that they are so rare though. It makes one think that they could potentially be some incredible switch, but no. They are just as smooth as greens, but they don't feel as special. Kind of the direct equivalent to MX Black where Greens are to red. Same actuation, but both are 10g less at bottom out than their MX counter part.

If I could assume, I'd say that browns were offered as a heavier alternative to Green SKCL Alps since they seemed to be produced around the same time.
« Last Edit: Sat, 21 November 2015, 23:33:04 by E3E »

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #72 on: Sat, 21 November 2015, 23:37:52 »
Sorry for the double post:

Just wanted to share the twins.



Both built on Duck Eagle PCBs specifically so they could use backlighting if desired. Funny thing, I just noticed (thanks to Mattr567) the V60 MTS PCB potentially allows for in-switch LEDs, and I went through all the trouble to get these thinking there was no other offering.

I'll post a full build log in the following days when the Hammer case comes in. I'm typing this on the ANSI 6.25u one with no case using a mixture of blues for the alphas and oranges everywhere else since I traded my stock away for the greens and brown linears, lol.

The Eagle doesn't support the standard ANSI 104 key layout for ALPS and seemed intended for Dell AT101 "101 ANSI" layout.

I drilled out the positions for to allow for 104 ANSI though on both PCBs. Both also have holtite sockets that allow for hotswapping. The switches are so tight though, that it's very unpleasant to pull one out of the plate/pcb. I'm gonna have to try and find some pair of rubber-nosed pliers or forceps that I can use to get a good hold onto them.

Yep, caps come off without an issue, if you couldn't have guessed, hehe.  :)

Of course, the areas with multiple layouts like the bottom row are not as well supported by the plate, so the switches have more play in those areas. It's not very noticeable, though the caps can look crooked if the switch is jarred. It shouldn't be a problem when mounted in a case though. I feel fortunate to have the DCS mods because that made this possible. Good thing the next Alps caps drops are going to be DCS so that means full compatibility. I had to do a stem swap on a triumph adler 7u space bar I got (thank you eksuen) from the free stuff thread) so it would fit on the board.



I didn't even intend on having two of these, but when one offer for a Duck PCB fell through, I took up another user's offer, and then the original offer came back and so I ended up with two. Then Leandre said that the factory was making two CF plates and I was like "Oh gooood, now I HAAAAVE to buy them."
« Last Edit: Sun, 22 November 2015, 04:57:55 by E3E »

Offline itzmeluigi

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #73 on: Sun, 22 November 2015, 18:05:43 »
@ E3E Wow backlit Alps omg those look perfect very very impressive.  I would be nervous drilling SKCL Greens, did the LEDs work right away when installed or was there anything extra involved other than drilling the switches?

Also very interesting the V60 MTS PCB allows for in-switch LEDs, do you think they would light up when installed or would something firmware sided be involved?  I ended up ordering a second Z-150 with Greens, so i might attempt to add LEDs to them if it would work with a V60 MTS PCB.



Olivetti keycaps arrived yesterday and they blend in nicely with the Cyrillic caps, i would say its complete for now :)



« Last Edit: Sun, 22 November 2015, 18:13:03 by itzmeluigi »

Offline cryptokey

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #74 on: Sun, 22 November 2015, 18:20:40 »
This thread really makes me want to try some Alps/Matias switches.... Anybody in Toronto who is offering test drives?  I touch yours, you touch mine?  ;)
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[WTB] HHKB Black

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #75 on: Sun, 22 November 2015, 18:27:01 »
@ E3E Wow backlit Alps omg those look perfect very very impressive.  I would be nervous drilling SKCL Greens, did the LEDs work right away when installed or was there anything extra involved other than drilling the switches?

Also very interesting the V60 MTS PCB allows for in-switch LEDs, do you think they would light up when installed or would something firmware sided be involved?  I ended up ordering a second Z-150 with Greens, so i might attempt to add LEDs to them if it would work with a V60 MTS PCB.



Olivetti keycaps arrived yesterday and they blend in nicely with the Cyrillic caps, i would say its complete for now :)

Show Image


Thanks, Luigi. :)

Yeah, I used a little pin vise hand tool with a miniature drill bit to drill the underside of the switches. Even though I eyed them up as best as I could, some weren't perfectly aligned with the LED holes and I had to widen the holes a bit more. I probably should have used a bigger diameter bit.

Yeah, that's it! I just bought some 2x5x7mm LEDs and slipped them in the sockets and they worked just fine. No other hassles! I grinded down the flanges of the LEDs to make them easier to insert and remove, but I've just found that this isn't necessary. I thought it'd be difficult to remove or insert them without taking care of the flange, but testing this with a switch from my Z-150, I now see that it works fine with a flange. Just a little bit tighter fitting.

I'm not sure. Apparently the V60 and V60MTS run on the same firmware, so it should be possible to get the LEDs working without much of a challenge.

Oh, what were you using your first Z-150 again? :D

Also, that Olivette looks perfect with your Cyrillic caps. Is that board using the blue alps from the Bulgarian Chicony 5161?

Offline jdcarpe

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #76 on: Sun, 22 November 2015, 18:41:33 »
Finally got around to building my hasu Alps64 today.




Plate from nubbinator's AEKII plate buy (my design), with dampened cream Alps, and keycaps from the AEKII. Imsto R2 alu case.
KMAC :: LZ-GH :: WASD CODE :: WASD v2 :: GH60 :: Alps64 :: JD45 :: IBM Model M :: IBM 4704 "Pingmaster"

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Offline itzmeluigi

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #77 on: Sun, 22 November 2015, 18:47:25 »
Thanks, Luigi. :)

Yeah, I used a little pin vise hand tool with a miniature drill bit to drill the underside of the switches. Even though I eyed them up as best as I could, some weren't perfectly aligned with the LED holes and I had to widen the holes a bit more. I probably should have used a bigger diameter bit.

Yeah, that's it! I just bought some 2x5x7mm LEDs and slipped them in the sockets and they worked just fine. No other hassles! I grinded down the flanges of the LEDs to make them easier to insert and remove, but I've just found that this isn't necessary. I thought it'd be difficult to remove or insert them without taking care of the flange, but testing this with a switch from my Z-150, I now see that it works fine with a flange. Just a little bit tighter fitting.

I'm not sure. Apparently the V60 and V60MTS run on the same firmware, so it should be possible to get the LEDs working without much of a challenge.

Oh, what were you using your first Z-150 again? :D

Also, that Olivette looks perfect with your Cyrillic caps. Is that board using the blue alps from the Bulgarian Chicony 5161?

Thats fantastic they worked right away, im certainly going to try that mod :D  Great news if the V60 and V60 MTS use the same firmware, time for me to order a thin drill bit and see if it works.

I used my first Z-150 with green alps on my Filco Zero thats pictured above.  The blue alps Bulgarian Chicony 5161 should arrive tomorrow, i thought it was going to arrive yesterday but it didnt.  I'm gong to order two V60 MTS boards and put the blue alps in one of them, then with my second Z-150 that i just ordered im going to use the green alps and do the LED mod to them for the second V60 MTS.



@ jdcarpe  Nice hasu Alps64, wish i didnt miss that buy. I want that case, nice shade of blue.
« Last Edit: Sun, 22 November 2015, 18:49:04 by itzmeluigi »

Offline Lurch

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #78 on: Sun, 22 November 2015, 19:20:31 »
Finally got around to building my hasu Alps64 today.

Show Image



Plate from nubbinator's AEKII plate buy (my design), with dampened cream Alps, and keycaps from the AEKII. Imsto R2 alu case.

*drool*
Quote from: Flyersfan1
im so glad you've stopped flipping the spacebar

Offline E3E

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #79 on: Sun, 22 November 2015, 19:40:20 »
Thanks, Luigi. :)

Yeah, I used a little pin vise hand tool with a miniature drill bit to drill the underside of the switches. Even though I eyed them up as best as I could, some weren't perfectly aligned with the LED holes and I had to widen the holes a bit more. I probably should have used a bigger diameter bit.

Yeah, that's it! I just bought some 2x5x7mm LEDs and slipped them in the sockets and they worked just fine. No other hassles! I grinded down the flanges of the LEDs to make them easier to insert and remove, but I've just found that this isn't necessary. I thought it'd be difficult to remove or insert them without taking care of the flange, but testing this with a switch from my Z-150, I now see that it works fine with a flange. Just a little bit tighter fitting.

I'm not sure. Apparently the V60 and V60MTS run on the same firmware, so it should be possible to get the LEDs working without much of a challenge.

Oh, what were you using your first Z-150 again? :D

Also, that Olivette looks perfect with your Cyrillic caps. Is that board using the blue alps from the Bulgarian Chicony 5161?

Thats fantastic they worked right away, im certainly going to try that mod :D  Great news if the V60 and V60 MTS use the same firmware, time for me to order a thin drill bit and see if it works.

I used my first Z-150 with green alps on my Filco Zero thats pictured above.  The blue alps Bulgarian Chicony 5161 should arrive tomorrow, i thought it was going to arrive yesterday but it didnt.  I'm gong to order two V60 MTS boards and put the blue alps in one of them, then with my second Z-150 that i just ordered im going to use the green alps and do the LED mod to them for the second V60 MTS.



@ jdcarpe  Nice hasu Alps64, wish i didnt miss that buy. I want that case, nice shade of blue.

Looks like you've got a lot planned! Definitely post your V60 builds! I'd love to see some more backlit Alps :D

Yeah, I definitely need some more blues after my trades. There's someone who I know who says they'll be in town in May and they've got a board for me, so... Long wait, but that works.

Ya know, when I first got into the idea of doing a hotswappable Alps build, I thought I'd want create a stock of every Alps switch for fun, but... I'm quickly learning that I might just rather hover around my absolute favorites now. Blue Alps, Green Alps, and Orange Alps. The last switch types I have to try that may or may not surprise me are Amber Alps (which I have a board for coming in soon :D ) and Brown Tactile Alps.

Other than that, I haven't tried black alps, white alps, or green tactile alps. I feel like none of them will be all that great compared to my favorites though.

Can anyone with a V80MTS confirm if it too has LED hole positions?
« Last Edit: Sun, 22 November 2015, 19:43:03 by E3E »

Offline sean

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #80 on: Sun, 22 November 2015, 21:03:39 »
@ E3E Wow backlit Alps omg those look perfect very very impressive.  I would be nervous drilling SKCL Greens, did the LEDs work right away when installed or was there anything extra involved other than drilling the switches?

Also very interesting the V60 MTS PCB allows for in-switch LEDs, do you think they would light up when installed or would something firmware sided be involved?  I ended up ordering a second Z-150 with Greens, so i might attempt to add LEDs to them if it would work with a V60 MTS PCB.



Olivetti keycaps arrived yesterday and they blend in nicely with the Cyrillic caps, i would say its complete for now :)


Show Image


Oh my... That looks amazing

Edit: The board looks so cool I managed to put my comment within the quote!
« Last Edit: Mon, 23 November 2015, 10:48:03 by sean »

Offline Yoe

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #81 on: Mon, 23 November 2015, 01:47:26 »
Finally got around to building my hasu Alps64 today.

Show Image



Plate from nubbinator's AEKII plate buy (my design), with dampened cream Alps, and keycaps from the AEKII. Imsto R2 alu case.

Looks awesome! Love that blue alu case. Makes me wanna dip those modifiers in Dylon Multi-purpose dye, Kingfisher Blue… ;)

Offline zombimuncha

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #82 on: Mon, 23 November 2015, 03:42:41 »

Can anyone with a V80MTS confirm if it too has LED hole positions?

I'll be bringing it home from work this week (now that I've finished zealioing the 660m) so I can crack it open and take a look...

Offline rowdy

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #83 on: Mon, 23 November 2015, 03:49:11 »
Finally got around to building my hasu Alps64 today.

Show Image



Plate from nubbinator's AEKII plate buy (my design), with dampened cream Alps, and keycaps from the AEKII. Imsto R2 alu case.

That is very nice indeed!
"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline itzmeluigi

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #84 on: Mon, 23 November 2015, 22:30:42 »
Oh my... That looks amazing

Edit: The board looks so cool I managed to put my comment within the quote!

Thanks im extremely happy with how it turned out, i was very lucky to find someone selling Russian Cyrillic Alps caps  :)

Looks like you've got a lot planned! Definitely post your V60 builds! I'd love to see some more backlit Alps :D

Yeah, I definitely need some more blues after my trades. There's someone who I know who says they'll be in town in May and they've got a board for me, so... Long wait, but that works.

Ya know, when I first got into the idea of doing a hotswappable Alps build, I thought I'd want create a stock of every Alps switch for fun, but... I'm quickly learning that I might just rather hover around my absolute favorites now. Blue Alps, Green Alps, and Orange Alps. The last switch types I have to try that may or may not surprise me are Amber Alps (which I have a board for coming in soon :D ) and Brown Tactile Alps.

Other than that, I haven't tried black alps, white alps, or green tactile alps. I feel like none of them will be all that great compared to my favorites though.

Can anyone with a V80MTS confirm if it too has LED hole positions?

Certainly a lot, im going to work on the first V60 with blue alps then after the second V60 with green alps + LEDs

The only alps ive tried is the stock Fukka switchs in the Filco Zero which i couldnt stand, SKCL Greens, and as of today SKCM Blues. The Chicony arrived today and it is very very yellowed and the plate had a bunch of dust on it, the SKCM Blues are much nicer than MX Blues, but its still hard to decide if i prefer blues or greens more, they both are great. I already desoldered all the switches and am waiting for the V60 to arrive.  :)

Im going to retrobright the keycaps and casing tomorrow, ill use the keycaps from it on my V60 and pickup another Olivetti set to match it with.

I want to try SKCM Greens but havent been able to find any.  Ill probably try SKCM Whites then SKCM Oranges next.

Offline jonathanyu

  • Posts: 1353
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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #85 on: Mon, 23 November 2015, 22:36:29 »


Found my first alps board last Friday as a surprise! White alps switches in it, probably the best clicky switches I have tried so far.

Offline E3E

  • Posts: 2831
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #86 on: Mon, 23 November 2015, 23:34:05 »
Oh my... That looks amazing

Edit: The board looks so cool I managed to put my comment within the quote!

Thanks im extremely happy with how it turned out, i was very lucky to find someone selling Russian Cyrillic Alps caps  :)

Looks like you've got a lot planned! Definitely post your V60 builds! I'd love to see some more backlit Alps :D

Yeah, I definitely need some more blues after my trades. There's someone who I know who says they'll be in town in May and they've got a board for me, so... Long wait, but that works.

Ya know, when I first got into the idea of doing a hotswappable Alps build, I thought I'd want create a stock of every Alps switch for fun, but... I'm quickly learning that I might just rather hover around my absolute favorites now. Blue Alps, Green Alps, and Orange Alps. The last switch types I have to try that may or may not surprise me are Amber Alps (which I have a board for coming in soon :D ) and Brown Tactile Alps.

Other than that, I haven't tried black alps, white alps, or green tactile alps. I feel like none of them will be all that great compared to my favorites though.

Can anyone with a V80MTS confirm if it too has LED hole positions?

Certainly a lot, im going to work on the first V60 with blue alps then after the second V60 with green alps + LEDs

The only alps ive tried is the stock Fukka switchs in the Filco Zero which i couldnt stand, SKCL Greens, and as of today SKCM Blues. The Chicony arrived today and it is very very yellowed and the plate had a bunch of dust on it, the SKCM Blues are much nicer than MX Blues, but its still hard to decide if i prefer blues or greens more, they both are great. I already desoldered all the switches and am waiting for the V60 to arrive.  :)

Im going to retrobright the keycaps and casing tomorrow, ill use the keycaps from it on my V60 and pickup another Olivetti set to match it with.

I want to try SKCM Greens but havent been able to find any.  Ill probably try SKCM Whites then SKCM Oranges next.

What attracted you to greens? Just curious. :) They seem similar to Alps Salmon with their short plate and spring weight. If the tactile leaf really is different, then that's the only difference. D:

I just swapped the mods for my ANSI 104 Eagle to be SKCL browns and they actually feel much nicer than I thought while mounted. I've now learned to never judge a switch until it's mounted on a board. It's very smooth! The SKCL greens are like a pitfall which feels amazing. Browns are like opening a parachute right before you touch down, haha. They are  equally as smooth.

Made a little video.

Alps SKCM blues on alphas, Oranges on number stripe since my left over stock of loose blues was only enough for the alphas themselves. Plan on filling all the missing spots with Amber SKCM and putting orange springs in them if the really are too heavy.

feature=youtu.be

Here's a little typing video! I also made a sleeved carbon fiber cable (real CF, and it was only around 9 dollars for 4 yards of it :D).

Carbon fiber is apparently good at dampening high frequency vibrations so the spring ping that I usually hear with blue alps was practically silent here. On the infinity with its stainless plate and the vintages I've had with metal backs and steel plates, it pinged all over the place. I even took the time to lube every single Green Alps spring on my other Duck Eagle so there would be no spring ping at all (before realizing this quality of carbon fiber). D:

Caps seemed to have straightened themselves out too as they were crooked in the last photo. :D

EDIT: I really need to make a build log! Once the Hammer case comes in, I shall!
« Last Edit: Mon, 23 November 2015, 23:45:26 by E3E »

Offline alienman82

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #87 on: Mon, 23 November 2015, 23:54:43 »
removed.
« Last Edit: Thu, 01 March 2018, 16:55:45 by alienman82 »

Offline itzmeluigi

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #88 on: Tue, 24 November 2015, 01:02:32 »
Show Image

We have the same board haha. What switches does yours have? Mine has Acer Blacks. I really need to retrobright mine. Hopefully one day i can use these caps on a 60% Alps ISO build.



What attracted you to greens? Just curious. :) They seem similar to Alps Salmon with their short plate and spring weight. If the tactile leaf really is different, then that's the only difference. D:

I just swapped the mods for my ANSI 104 Eagle to be SKCL browns and they actually feel much nicer than I thought while mounted. I've now learned to never judge a switch until it's mounted on a board. It's very smooth! The SKCL greens are like a pitfall which feels amazing. Browns are like opening a parachute right before you touch down, haha. They are  equally as smooth.

Made a little video.

Alps SKCM blues on alphas, Oranges on number stripe since my left over stock of loose blues was only enough for the alphas themselves. Plan on filling all the missing spots with Amber SKCM and putting orange springs in them if the really are too heavy.

feature=youtu.be

Here's a little typing video! I also made a sleeved carbon fiber cable (real CF, and it was only around 9 dollars for 4 yards of it :D).

Carbon fiber is apparently good at dampening high frequency vibrations so the spring ping that I usually hear with blue alps was practically silent here. On the infinity with its stainless plate and the vintages I've had with metal backs and steel plates, it pinged all over the place. I even took the time to lube every single Green Alps spring on my other Duck Eagle so there would be no spring ping at all (before realizing this quality of carbon fiber). D:

Caps seemed to have straightened themselves out too as they were crooked in the last photo. :D

EDIT: I really need to make a build log! Once the Hammer case comes in, I shall!

I mainly was interested in greens because the leaf is different than others in Alps and i havent really heard much about them.

From the description it sounds like i might like SKCL browns a lot, they seem to be also extremely rare though.

The typing video sounds great it will be even better once your Hammer case arrives :D and OMG does the Duck board support reactive LED? That is seriously the ultimate alps board.  I didnt know real carbon fiber plates was a thing, did you have it custom made? Although i dont mind the ping at all, my Zero has very slight ping.




Offline E3E

  • Posts: 2831
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #89 on: Tue, 24 November 2015, 01:34:00 »
Show Image

We have the same board haha. What switches does yours have? Mine has Acer Blacks. I really need to retrobright mine. Hopefully one day i can use these caps on a 60% Alps ISO build.
Show Image


Blacks? I think the one you have might be the Acer 6311, is that a possibility? I know there are "Acer" switches that look very similar to Black SKCM but are actually some kind of membrane switch.  :confused:


Quote
I mainly was interested in greens because the leaf is different than others in Alps and i havent really heard much about them.

From the description it sounds like i might like SKCL browns a lot, they seem to be also extremely rare though.

Yeah, that is a pretty intriguing aspect of those along with SKCM browns. I wonder how the greens feel! In my own little made up rarity tier for Alps I've made in my head, SKCL browns and SKCM greens are practically on the same level. Then Amber and SKCM brown, blue, green, yellow, then SKCM orange and salmon, then dampened cream and ivory, then SKCM white and finally SKCM blacks. I guess? It might not be totally true, but it seems that way.

I still think greens are more unique feeling compared to any other linear switch I've felt. Browns are kind of like blacks, but with a shorter throw. They are pleasant!

Since SKCL yellow are the same weight but with short plates, you could either just use them or pop their springs into SKCL greens for some "ghetto SKCL browns" if you really wanted to!

Quote
The typing video sounds great it will be even better once your Hammer case arrives :D and OMG does the Duck board support reactive LED? That is seriously the ultimate alps board.  I didnt know real carbon fiber plates was a thing, did you have it custom made? Although i dont mind the ping at all, my Zero has very slight ping.

Yeah, I had to modify the board to support the ANSI 104 layout though, since the Eagle totally underestimates the Alps compatibility and doesn't include short right shift + 1 or the 6.25u bottom row or Cherry-style stepped Caps Lock. The stepped caps lock we usually see with Alps is in-between the non-stepped and Cherry-stepped. It's not as far to the left. The Eagle supports this and non-stepped. I'd imagine if we got some stepped Caps Lock keys from SP, they would be Cherry-style stepped and so that needed to be added.

Er, I'm blabbering again! Either way, I'm super happy the modified board works well!

Haha, thanks. It's definitely probably the ultimate Alps 60% PCB to use for now! I love all the lighting options on Duck boards.

Yep, the CF plates are real CF. I got them from Leandre! He was really awesome to deal with. He's running a GB now! Just be wary that to use the plate, you need Cherry stabs and caps that can work with them.

This means most Alps caps won't work, so you'd have to either stem swap (I had to do this for the 7u space bar and the 6.25u one came from my Olivette Tai Hao Alps set), or get a keyset from SP.

So sorry for all this writing; I get passionate when it comes to Alps and my personal projects. :)
« Last Edit: Tue, 24 November 2015, 01:36:41 by E3E »

Offline alienman82

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #90 on: Tue, 24 November 2015, 07:32:00 »
removed.
« Last Edit: Thu, 01 March 2018, 16:55:42 by alienman82 »

Offline ideus

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #91 on: Tue, 24 November 2015, 07:35:55 »
Finally got around to building my hasu Alps64 today.

Show Image



Plate from nubbinator's AEKII plate buy (my design), with dampened cream Alps, and keycaps from the AEKII. Imsto R2 alu case.


What sizes are the modifiers?

Offline jbondeson

  • Posts: 470
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #92 on: Tue, 24 November 2015, 08:09:06 »

Finally got around to building my hasu Alps64 today.

Show Image



Plate from nubbinator's AEKII plate buy (my design), with dampened cream Alps, and keycaps from the AEKII. Imsto R2 alu case.


What sizes are the modifiers?

AEK II bottom row is 1.5, 1.25, 1.5, 6.5, 1.5, 1.25, 1.5

Frankly the most sensible bottom row I've seen. Split the right shift and it'd be perfect.

Offline jdcarpe

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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #93 on: Tue, 24 November 2015, 08:10:42 »

Finally got around to building my hasu Alps64 today.

Show Image



Plate from nubbinator's AEKII plate buy (my design), with dampened cream Alps, and keycaps from the AEKII. Imsto R2 alu case.


What sizes are the modifiers?

AEK II bottom row is 1.5, 1.25, 1.5, 6.5, 1.5, 1.25, 1.5

Frankly the most sensible bottom row I've seen. Split the right shift and it'd be perfect.

Yes, I really like that bottom row sizing. If only there were more 6.5-unit Alps spacebars in my life. :)
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Offline SamirD

  • * Esteemed Elder
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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #94 on: Tue, 24 November 2015, 15:42:42 »
It's pretty cool. Its click is way more fun than MX Blues', for sure.
Interesting.  Thank you for sharing!  :thumb:

Offline itzmeluigi

  • Posts: 301
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Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #95 on: Wed, 25 November 2015, 10:51:19 »
Blacks? I think the one you have might be the Acer 6311, is that a possibility? I know there are "Acer" switches that look very similar to Black SKCM but are actually some kind of membrane switch.  :confused:


Yeah, that is a pretty intriguing aspect of those along with SKCM browns. I wonder how the greens feel! In my own little made up rarity tier for Alps I've made in my head, SKCL browns and SKCM greens are practically on the same level. Then Amber and SKCM brown, blue, green, yellow, then SKCM orange and salmon, then dampened cream and ivory, then SKCM white and finally SKCM blacks. I guess? It might not be totally true, but it seems that way.

I still think greens are more unique feeling compared to any other linear switch I've felt. Browns are kind of like blacks, but with a shorter throw. They are pleasant!

Since SKCL yellow are the same weight but with short plates, you could either just use them or pop their springs into SKCL greens for some "ghetto SKCL browns" if you really wanted to!
Quote
The typing video sounds great it will be even better once your Hammer case arrives :D and OMG does the Duck board support reactive LED? That is seriously the ultimate alps board.  I didnt know real carbon fiber plates was a thing, did you have it custom made? Although i dont mind the ping at all, my Zero has very slight ping.
Yeah, I had to modify the board to support the ANSI 104 layout though, since the Eagle totally underestimates the Alps compatibility and doesn't include short right shift + 1 or the 6.25u bottom row or Cherry-style stepped Caps Lock. The stepped caps lock we usually see with Alps is in-between the non-stepped and Cherry-stepped. It's not as far to the left. The Eagle supports this and non-stepped. I'd imagine if we got some stepped Caps Lock keys from SP, they would be Cherry-style stepped and so that needed to be added.

Er, I'm blabbering again! Either way, I'm super happy the modified board works well!

Haha, thanks. It's definitely probably the ultimate Alps 60% PCB to use for now! I love all the lighting options on Duck boards.

Yep, the CF plates are real CF. I got them from Leandre! He was really awesome to deal with. He's running a GB now! Just be wary that to use the plate, you need Cherry stabs and caps that can work with them.

This means most Alps caps won't work, so you'd have to either stem swap (I had to do this for the 7u space bar and the 6.25u one came from my Olivette Tai Hao Alps set), or get a keyset from SP.

So sorry for all this writing; I get passionate when it comes to Alps and my personal projects. :)


Mine is the Acer Blacks Acer 6312, it has a membrane sheet under it, its not completely horrible though.  I only bought it because it had ISO Alps keycaps, it also has a very interesting Nordic + Bulgarian Cyrillic layout, ive never seen that combination before.

It seems like SKCM Green and browns are the rarest. SKCL Greens are my favorite switch at the moment, although that might change once i get the SKCM Blues in the V60 mounted in a aluminum case.  The next alps switches ill try are Whites then Orange because their easier to find. Will try and keep an eye open for SKCM Greens haha.

Ah nice i saw Leandre GB, i didnt think at first they would work with Alps though. How would i go about doing a stem swap?  Where can one buy a keyset from SP?

No worries Alps talk is the most interesting. I doubt i will find anything more interesting than Alps keyboard related stuff. I think its much more fun than MX.


I just started to Retro bright the Chicony case and keycaps, im using the advice given from this thread: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=36719.0 and my second Z-150 should arrive in the mail in an hour or two, so ill be desoldering all those switches today. The V60 hopefully will arrive Friday then i can install the SKCM Blues and try them out in a aluminum case.

Offline E3E

  • Posts: 2831
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #96 on: Wed, 25 November 2015, 18:29:47 »
More
Mine is the Acer Blacks Acer 6312, it has a membrane sheet under it, its not completely horrible though.  I only bought it because it had ISO Alps keycaps, it also has a very interesting Nordic + Bulgarian Cyrillic layout, ive never seen that combination before.

It seems like SKCM Green and browns are the rarest. SKCL Greens are my favorite switch at the moment, although that might change once i get the SKCM Blues in the V60 mounted in a aluminum case.  The next alps switches ill try are Whites then Orange because their easier to find. Will try and keep an eye open for SKCM Greens haha.

Ah nice i saw Leandre GB, i didnt think at first they would work with Alps though. How would i go about doing a stem swap?  Where can one buy a keyset from SP?

No worries Alps talk is the most interesting. I doubt i will find anything more interesting than Alps keyboard related stuff. I think its much more fun than MX.


I just started to Retro bright the Chicony case and keycaps, im using the advice given from this thread: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=36719.0 and my second Z-150 should arrive in the mail in an hour or two, so ill be desoldering all those switches today. The V60 hopefully will arrive Friday then i can install the SKCM Blues and try them out in a aluminum case.

ISO is definitely a cool layout I've been wanting to try. I think the enter looks pretty classy, but I'll have to wait before I can build any 60% with it. The V60 and Hasu PCB seem to accept ISO though! I love anything non-standard, which... Ironically for me, has led me to give my second Eagle PCB a standard ANSI layout since almost all of my keyboards are non-standard. XD I think ANSI 60% looks rather charming. It seems like Cyrillic is whole lot more common to see on Alps boards than it is on Cherry for some reason. Great find though, getting Nordic + Bulgarian Cyrillic! So weird!

Yep, I'd say SKCM Greens and Browns SKCLs would make a good couple, because they sure are about as elusive as the other. Amber and Brown SKCM aren't often seen in builds, but they aren't all that rare. Since they come in computers/luggables, their prices can sometimes be way too high for many to bother with. Blues and Greens and such aren't super rare, just desirable (with good reason) and either snatched up quick or are way too high priced.

Yeah, Greens are definitely my favorite linear, hands down. The feel is just so light, which I looove. Very nice for times when my joints need a rest. Blues are also nice and light and have similar qualities though I believe Greens are the absolute lightest Alps switch. Blues are a touch heavier than Orange SKCM. Orange, Green, and Blue are probably my favorites. Brown SKCL is pretty nice, but eh. 
 
Amber SKCM is really weird. It's smooth like Blue SKCM, but it has this HUGE tactile bump that pretty much encompasses all the resistance in the switch before the resistance breaks and it's a clean drop down. The click itself is different. It's louder and I really don't know what to think of it. On my Alps build, the carbon fiber + sorbothane beneath the PCB really diminishes the sound of the keys clacking, so you almost just notice the clicks. 
 
Oranges feel very similar to blues, but just without the click, which makes them a good switch if you want to try and get a feel for blue alps without the crazy price. The click is half the fun though!

The CF plate and universal plate design by JDCarpe can, in general, mount Alps switches. The problem lies in the stabilizers as universal designs do not allow for plate-mounted stabilization. Maybe if someone made PCB-stabs that act as a mounting base for costar or alps-style stabs, then this wouldn't be a problem. The only reason I even went for this is because I was fortunate enough to buy in a position on the Alps DCS modifier group buy (thanks Badwrench and Geniekid). Though honestly, with enough patience and attention to detail, stem swapping isn't too hard. I had to do it for every space bar I've used on my Alps builds thus far. 
 
Oh, are you keeping the Chicony then? What switches were you going to mount in the PCB after you strip it of its blues? :P Blues are heavenly. I really think that they are hard to beat. Even the more obscure and curious of Alps switches really don't compare. Amber are good, but they don't have all the pleasant qualities blues have. The heavy tactility gives me mixed feelings and the click isn't as pleasant to me. I'm very torn on whether or not to keep or trade them for more blues.


Offline E3E

  • Posts: 2831
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #97 on: Wed, 25 November 2015, 18:49:25 »
Some hot potato glam shots of my Hammer case and the different Eagle layouts mounted in each one. Thanks so much to JDCarpe for reaching out to me regarding this case. I absolutely ADORE it. 
 








I sleeved the cable with real carbon fiber. Kinda scary having to cut some of the stuff, since I know it's TERRIBLE to breathe, though maybe that's just CF composite, but I was still a tad bit wary, haha.

Gonna write up a build log tonight at somepoint. This is gonna be a loooong one!
« Last Edit: Wed, 25 November 2015, 18:56:15 by E3E »

Offline zombimuncha

  • Posts: 331
  • Location: UK
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #98 on: Thu, 26 November 2015, 13:05:32 »

Can anyone with a V80MTS confirm if it too has LED hole positions?

I'll be bringing it home from work this week (now that I've finished zealioing the 660m) so I can crack it open and take a look...

Here are a few photos of my V80MTS pcb. I don't really know what I'm looking for re: LED hole positions, so I'll just leave these here...
118396-0
118398-1118400-2118402-3118404-4

Offline E3E

  • Posts: 2831
Re: Post your ALPS keyboard
« Reply #99 on: Thu, 26 November 2015, 14:23:20 »

Can anyone with a V80MTS confirm if it too has LED hole positions?

I'll be bringing it home from work this week (now that I've finished zealioing the 660m) so I can crack it open and take a look...

Here are a few photos of my V80MTS pcb. I don't really know what I'm looking for re: LED hole positions, so I'll just leave these here...
(Attachment Link)
(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)

Haha, aww yeeeah! Thanks for these, man.

It seems like the V80MTS does indeed have LED positions just like the V60MTS. Why is this never mentioned in and advertising? Why is it even included? I'm guessing they just modified the positions on the original design to accept Alps while removing the stem well holes? I dunno, but it's both awesome yet quirky that they do indeed of LED positions.